Moms

Celebrating our moms on the second Sunday in May is so fitting. Spring is upon us and the earth is giving birth to new life all around. My mom’s favorite season was spring, as is mine.

Many of us in this world have multiple “moms” in our lives, whether they be stepmoms from remarriages, adopted moms, or just elder friends or aunts who have been our pseudo-moms over the years. But no matter who we have grown up to be in this life, each of us only has one true mom (biologically speaking) — the one who carried us and gave us life.

I lost my mom in 2016 and still miss her every day. I miss her laugh and her sense of humor, reminiscing with her about the cabins and memorable happenings and people, and just knowing that I could always pick up the phone and call her when I was lonely or just wanted to chat. She wasn’t perfect, as no mom ever is, but she loved without hesitation and gave freely of herself to make people happy. She came from a large family and maintained strong relationships with all her siblings and watched many of them pass on before her.

Our mom is the one person in our life who is with us from day one and witnesses it all — our early childhood, awkward teen years, our career choices and failures, our bodies as we grow and change and have children of our own, each and every one of our life choices. Maybe that’s why we always feel a little vulnerable around our moms.

I have few memories of my grandparents because they all passed on when I was a toddler. Sometimes it’s helpful to remember that our moms had moms, too, and many of the vulnerabilities we may feel, they may have felt, too. There is no formal education for guiding another person through life. We all do the best we can.

Moms always bring extra love. Today we remember and give some back.

My mom, Ruth Irene (1929-2016)